Judges 8

Judges 8:1

chide. This was the beginning of the strife which ended in the division of the kingdom (1 Kings 12).

Judges 8:2

What . . . ? Is not. . . ? Figure of speech Erotesis. App-6.

Judges 8:3

God = Elohim delivered His creatures; not Jehovah the Covenant-God. App-4.

anger. Hebrew. ruach, spirit (App-9). Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Cause) for the angry manifestations of it.

Judges 8:5

men = folk. Hebrew. ’enosh. App-14.

Judges 8:7

the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah.

Judges 8:10

hosts = camps.

children. Hebrew sons.

Judges 8:11

host = camp.

Judges 8:15

Are . . . ? Figure of speech Erotesis. App-6.

Judges 8:18

a = the.

Judges 8:21

ornaments = crescent-shaped ornaments used still on necks of horses and camels.

Judges 8:24

earrings. Hebrew. Nezem, Any ring worn in ear or nose = a nose ring in Genesis 24:47. Proverbs 11:22. Isaiah 3:21. Ezekiel 16:12; and “earring” in Genesis 35:4 and Exodus 32:2. Other passages doubtful (Judges 8:25. Job 42:11. Proverbs 25:12. Hosea 2:13).

because. This parenthetical remark solves the difficulty of Gen 37:25, Genesis 37:28, Genesis 37:36, and Genesis 39:1. Ishmael and Midian were halfbrothers, sons of Abraham by Hagar and Keturah (Genesis 16:11, Genesis 16:12; Genesis 25:1, Genesis 25:2), All Midianites were Ishmaelites, but all Ishmaelites were not Midianites.

Judges 8:27

ephod. Probably the priests were lax in restoring the worship of the true God. So that Gideon would have meant well and desired to judge well. Compare Judges 17:5, where Micah made another. The reason given being that “there was no king, and every man did what was right in his own eyes”, Judges 17:6; and Judges 18:5, where it was used to “ask counsel”; and for the same reason, Judges 18:1.

Judges 8:28

children = sons.

lifted up their heads no more = made no more attempts to vex.

was in quietness. See note on Judges 3:11.